Extreme Macaroni and Cheese
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I have been playing around a bit to make a “better” macaroni and cheese, let me just say, this one takes the cake! I put together 2 recipes-1 from The Pioneer Woman and 1 from Tyler Florence to get it just the way we like (er, uh, love) it!
When the kids were young, we made macaroni from the blue box as a staple probably 3-4 times a week, sure I mixed it up and added hot dogs or bacon, but I wasn’t into cooking so much (no time to spend in the kitchen) but I sure wish I would have experimented more back then, ‘cuz THIS recipe I would have been happy to have many times a week!
Extreme Macaroni and Cheese
INGREDIENTS:
1 8 ounce box any pasta noodles you like
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions-sliced thinly
1 package bacon
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups half and half
2 egg yolks, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Gruyere cheese-grated
1 cup Parmigiana Reggiano cheese-grated
1 cup cheddar cheese-grated
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook the macaroni per package directions, but drain just before al dente, set aside. Freeze the bacon slightly (for easier cutting) then cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Fry bacon until done, but not too crisp, drain on paper towel. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute onions over medium heat until golden brown about 15 minutes. Set aside. In a pot, melt the butter, sprinkle with flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 1 minute. Pour in the half and half, then cook until thick-about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add salt and pepper to taste. Beat egg yolks and drizzle 1/4 cup hot mixture into the yolks, stirring constantly. Pour egg mixture into sauce and cook for another minute. Add cheeses and stir until melted. Add onions and bacon and stir. Re-season if necessary. Add macaroni noodles and stir. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Feel free to top with bread crumbs for a fancier finish.
